


Crashlanding in 2015

by Kawaii_Kitty360



Category: Wan Wan Games (RPF)
Genre: Ding Dong is salty, Domestic Fluff, I can't write PTSD well but I'll try, I don't want to spoil anything but, I like writing about things I don't completely understand, Julian is Gay, M/M, Things get mentioned and then completely forgotten about I am sorry, but what else is new amirite, everyone is surprisingly cool about ding dong being an alien, expect things to be mild OOC, i spent so much time on ding dong and chris's backstory, i'm sorry if i offend anyone!!!!!!, if not..., if you've read the wikis you should already know whats coming, please don't come for me hmmmnhh--, that's why everything else is shit, we cracked the code, you're in for a ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-08 19:30:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16435421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kawaii_Kitty360/pseuds/Kawaii_Kitty360
Summary: basedsolelymainly around Julian and Ding Dong's 'Oneyplays' Wiki entries, this is the story on how a narcissistic Mexican with an expiring work visa and a dream to animate saved the sole survivor of an alien race wiped out by Let's Players.>COMPLETE<





	1. Speeding Through Arizona the Night I Met You

**Author's Note:**

> once again a dingdulian story that [somebody](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12760254/chapters/29110377) already beat me to. Again, I'm not surprised. However, if you haven't read theirs yet, they go a completely different route than I do, and it's pretty interesting. 
> 
> Anyway, let's hope that I don't lose all motivation to write this. I have a couple of chapters already done. Idk what the update schedule will be, if any, but I'll probably post a new chapter once I finish writing another, if that makes sense. I want to keep a steady pull ahead of things so I don't just up and abandon it as I have with most of the stories I've written. 
> 
> Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy!!

"I need a room."

Julian ignored the horrified look the receptionist gave him and the guy he held bridal style, hood pulled over his head so nobody could see his face, trading the money he had in hand for the key she offered. 

"Room 115, take the elevator up-- is he okay?"

Julian looked at the figure, who he felt breathing faintly in his arms. He wasn't entirely too sure on how to answer her, as he had no idea himself.

"I hope so."

The elevator opened as Julian approached, and a scruffy-looking man stepped out, eyes widening as he moved out of Julian's way, passing a look over his shoulder at them as he continued down the walk. Julian ignored them both as he jabbed the button for the first floor and waited.

The whole experience felt unreal to him.

He was making his way to California, hoping to find a job in animation after his life in Albuquerque got too boring for him, living fast and driving faster. Things had been pretty uneventful, and he did his best not to stop, living out of his car on junk food and anything else he could afford. 

But that all changed when he was halfway through Arizona.

It all changed when the meteor hit. 

Of course, Julian had no real idea what it was; all he knew was that something breached the atmosphere, soared pretty low over Julian's car, and slammed, luckily, into a nearby park and not into anybody's yard or some building.

He wasn't even sure what brought him to do it, but he found himself spinning his car around and chasing after it.

Turned out, though, that the thing hadn't crashed on the ground; it had managed to land directly into the attached pool building. Julian had never broken into anything in his life, but something compelled him to bust out the crowbar he kept in his trunk, bust off the back gate's lock, and race in. 

That's when Julian stumbled across an alien space pod, floating, half-submerged in what was left of the pool's water. Julian didn't even know if there was anything in it- or if there was, if it was friendly- but he still found himself getting to the pool's edge, and watching in awe and mild fear, as the door popped open with a hiss and a puff of smoke, and a pale white hand grabbed the edge to pull themselves out.

Julian watched on as the alien pulled their upper body out, holding a hand- paw?- to its head, face screwed in pain- most likely from the gash on its forehead. Julian found himself very concerned, and noticed what was about to happen just a little too late.

With a startled yell, Julian watched the alien tumble into the pool head-first. 

And Julian's body was in with it.

Luckily, he didn't have to open his eyes to find the E.T.'s body, hands coming under its armpits and heaving it towards the surface. He emerged with a gasp, lugging the body towards the shallower end as it itself coughed and sputtered a bit. It squirmed in Julian's arms, but barely, body weak from the crash. Julian managed to get them both to the shallows without much injury, picking the alien up and balancing it on long, unsteady feet. Its suit was ripped, splotched in blood and soaked completely through, and Julian wondered if it could catch a cold. Not that it was particularly cold that night, but he had no idea how the immune system of this creature worked.

"Hey, hey," Julian coaxed gently, patting its back softly as it coughed into its fist. "Are you okay?"

The alien barely managed to look at him with half-lidded eyes before its weight increased and fainted in Julian's arms.

Julian carried it to his car, digging out a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, thinking about how it would react with a change of clothes and if he would get yelled at for violating this alien's privacy, but he figured the health was more important, and pulled the alien's clothes off. He felt bad that he couldn't tend to any of its wounds, but getting it warm and dry would be good enough for now. 

The alien groaned as Julian jostled him, but didn't wake, which Julian was grateful for, because _it_ quickly became _he_ , and, alien or not, Julian was still a gay man and having a naked alien man in his car was not good for him. 

He made quick work of getting it-- _him_ dressed, and sitting him comfortably in the car before he tossed the ripped suit in the back (he put the boots back on him, though; his feet were like a rabbit's, so it would be best to keep them covered), buckled him in, shut the door, and crossed back around to the drivers side. 

He made quick work at getting to the nearest- but not too near to the crash site- hotel and checking in, and that's where we are now.

Julian managed to unlock the door without jostling the boy too much, shoving his way into the room and locking it behind him. He set him down on the couch and made his way to the bathroom to look for a first aid kit.

Thankfully, there was one, and he brought it out into the living room to tend to the wounds.

The worst was on his head, which Julian worked on first. He worried about the prospect of their Earthen medical supplies somehow doing more damage to the E.T, but as he dabbed it against the cut, the only reaction was a light groan in pain and a slight amount of bubbling that showed the disinfectant was working. He thought of pressing a band-aid over it, but figured it would be too small for a wound that big, and instead wrapped a few layers of gauze over it, carefully avoiding the nub that seemed to serve as the alien's ears.

Once that was taken care of, he gently lifted the alien off the couch to pull the hoodie off of him, and was once again hit in the face with the lean body of a masculine extraterrestrial. 

Julian tried not to think about it as he repeated the cleaning process. There was a large burn on his shoulder, which he took care of carefully, but not without another noise of pain, which Julian felt bad over, but it had to be done. He once again finished with a few layers of gauze, and carefully put the hoodie back on him before taking hold of the sweatpants hem and bracing himself.

The alien was, thankfully, wearing underwear, but they were also sopped through, and Julian tried not to stare. He tried to not even _glance_ as he cleaned the cuts and burns on the alien's legs, and finished, once more, with gauze. Once he pulled the pants back up the boy's legs, he sat back with a breath, and hoped for him to wake. 

It took hours.

Julian found himself pacing, debating to run down to his car to get his stuff, but he didn't want to come back and find the alien gone; he flinched and worried over every passing police car and, finally, he decided to run down. It was meant to be quick; just run down, grab his phone charger and a bag of snacks for now, and run back up. 

He was making his way back towards the elevator when the receptionist called out, "Is he alright?"

Julian stopped to look at her. She did look genuinely concerned, and Julian fought the urge to just keep walking. "Yeah, I think. He's resting."

"What happened?"

"He--" Julian choked. "He got mugged. It was really nasty- I mean, I assume. I wasn't there. I found him in the alley."

"In the alley?" she gawked, and Julian tried not to look too impatient. "Did you call the cops?"

"No!" Julian replied so violently that he forced himself into a coughing fit. "No- no, what would be the point, you know? It was already over by the time I made it."

"You should take him to a hospital," she offered, and Julian shook his head.

"I don't think it's that serious. The worst thing is on his head, but he should be fine after a day or two's rest."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but Julian was already walking back to the elevator.

He hurried down the hall and quickly unlocked the room, stepping in and freezing immediately.

The alien had sat up, spacing out while staring at the floor, but the sound of the door caused him to jolt, scrambling to stand and hand flying immediately to his side. For a gun, Julian noted as the alien's fearful face soon grew into a panic.

"Whoa!" Julian held up his hands, still clutching the bag and charger in his hands. "Hey, wait! It's okay! It's me!"

The alien seemed to have no recollection, and looked ready to run immediately.

"I saved you- you crashed and were going to drown."

After a few blinks, the E.T. calmed himself a bit, relaxing his tense shoulders slightly. "Oh."

Julian blanched. "What?"

"I said, 'Oh'."

"No, I heard you, I just-- you spoke. English."

He tilted his head in response. "Yes?"

"I--" Julian laughed a bit, stepping in and shutting the door. "It surprised me is all."

"Okay," the alien said shakily, chuckling as well, and Julian felt his chest swell. 

"Uhm... W-What's your name?" 

He hesitated before saying softly, "Ding Dong."

Julian choked. "'Ding Dong'?"

He nodded, and Julian found himself grinning. "Okay, Ding Dong. I'm Julian."

"Thank you for saving me, Julian," Ding Dong said with a small smile, and Julian lost his train of thought. "But I must return to my pod. I have things of high value and importance in there."

Julian froze, immediately feeling bad for the alien. "Really?"

Ding Dong nodded again and looked around, and then back down at himself. "Thank you, also, for the new clothes. I am aware that mine had been destroyed in the crash. Speaking of which, are we far from the crash site?"

Julian scrambled, settling instead with setting the bag down on the table in the joint kitchen. "You could... say that."

Ding Dong grew silent. "Julian, where is my pod?"

"It's in some swimming pool a couple of miles back- it's probably swarming with authorities. We can't go back there."

"You don't understand," he crossed the room in three quick steps. Despite being a few inches taller than Julian, he seemed to tower over him, crowding him against the counter. "I _need_ to get back to my pod. All my stuff's in there- all my _games_ are in there!"

"Games?" Julian repeated, and Ding Dong spun with a huff.

"Yes!" He grabbed Julian by the upper-arm, staring into his eyes pleadingly. "Julian, please. We have to go back."

And that was how Julian found himself back in the car, driving towards the pool they had abandoned hours ago. He was tired, hungry, and a little intimidated by the alien in the passenger seat, who was currently messing on Julian's phone and muttering to himself.

As they left, the woman at the desk was happy to see Ding Dong up and about, and Ding Dong seemed taken aback at this stranger so concerned over him. 'She's not the first,' he said once they got outside, and Julian flushed.

"Are you serious?" he suddenly scoffed, reaching up to rub at his temples, wincing once he hit his wound but groaning at something other than pain. "I must've cheesed the numbers."

"What?"

"I was meant to arrive in the 1990s, so I could learn from my idols and create games with them." Ding Dong turned to (probably) pout out the window in disdain. "But now they're all gone. Replaced by- by-- by two-man studios who have no idea what they're doing!!"

He punched the dash and Julian swerved. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry!" Ding Dong threw his hands in the air before returning a hand to the phone and continuing to scroll. "I just... This isn't what I wanted to happen."

"Well, hey, you met me, didn't you?" Julian offered, coming to a stop at a red light, ready to turn, and watched as a cop car sped towards the direction they were heading. "You couldn't have done that if this is the 90s."

"Yeah, but... no offense, but I would have much rather hung out with Hakuhodo..."

When Julian didn't respond, Ding Dong sighed. "The creators of Mad Panic Coaster...?"

"I... don't know what that is."

Ding Dong shook his head. "I'm not surprised."

The conversation died as they neared the pool and found, without a doubt, an insane amount of police cars, fire trucks, and black cars that were most likely the FBI or the MIB or some kind of government officials who would stop at nothing to get their hands on Ding Dong and experiment on him. Julian slowed, but didn't risk stopping, creeping along the road as they both looked in.

When Julian sped up to leave the scene, Ding Dong squawked in indignation. "What are you doing?!"

"We can't go in there! Do you see how many cops there are?" Julian ran a hand through his hair and breathed out to steel his nerves, hair sticking up with sweat. "If they see you, they'll take you away and experiment on you."

"They're stealing my pod!"

"Wouldn't you rather them steal that then them steal you!?"

Ding Dong, once again, fell silent, and spoke no more on the drive back to the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you all enjoy reading!
> 
> Comments are much appreciated, and I do my best to answer them all! :}


	2. Burgers, Black Cars, and Asphalt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back already with another chapter. I'm glad to see that y'all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!

What are we doing now?"

Julian sighed as he buckled himself in, not watching as Ding Dong did the same. "We're gonna get out of here. Being in the same city as the crash is freaking me out, and I've got somewhere to be."

It was the next morning; Julian had reluctantly fallen asleep and woken up next to Ding Dong, who was sleeping as well. After a quick shower, Julian decided that they were going to leave, and when they returned the keys to the receptionist (a different person; a guy, this time), Julian pulled out his phone to figure out what direction they needed to head to get to Cali. Ding Dong was still wearing Julian's hoodie and sweats, as well as the boots, though he seemed a little uncomfortable at the fit. They'd need to stop at a clothing store to pick up some better fitting stuff, but they could do that later. Julian knew how hot it was going to get and offered him a shirt instead, but Ding Dong had refused it, saying he was fine in the current attire, though Julian seriously doubted it. The sleeves were bunched up, huge in comparison to his thin arms, but he did look kind of cute. They would have to get some kind of hat to cover his head once he changed out of the hoodie. 

"Great. So, are you going to drop me off at the pool, or-"

"No," Julian said, probably a little too firm. "I'm not going to hand you willingly over to the FBI for you to get dissected and experimented on. That's suicide."

Ding Dong, once again, pouted, and Julian ignored it as he turned the car on and backed out of the space.

"Look, I know I don't have much," Julian began steadily, following the route the GPS had provided, "but whatever I have is yours now, okay? No government officials are gonna drag your ass to Area 51- not on my watch."

Ding Dong snorted softly, reaching back to grab the Chex Mix he had opened that morning. "Thank you, Julian."

"No problem, D."

Neither of them acknowledged the nickname, and as they drove down the road, Julian caught sight of a McDonald's sign hovering over a couple of rooftops like a beacon; Julian's stomach growled in response.

"Hey, you wanna get something to eat?"

Ding Dong looked at the Chex Mix in hand. "Uh-"

"Not that," he laughed, turning towards what was obviously one of the fast food districts of the city. "What do you think? McDonalds or Jack in the Box?"

Ding Dong blinked at him. "Which do you like?"

Julian pat his stomach. "Both. Either. Here, let's get Jack's."

Turns out, Ding Dong really enjoyed Jack in the Box. Julian ordered them both a burger, medium fries, and large sodas, which was relatively expensive, but Ding Dong's reaction to the food was worth it. 

As Julian pulled to the stop sign and waited for the traffic that was preventing them from leaving the Jack in the Box, a slick black car with dark tinted windows pulled in next to them, continuing back towards the parking lots. Julian tried not to think back to the FBI cars that had been surrounding the pool when they went back, but found it hard not to. Luckily, Ding Dong's pleased noises at the food's taste helped, and he dragged himself out of his head long enough to make the turn. 

"So," Ding Dong began before taking a deep sip of his drink, "what's waiting for you in California?"

"I'm hoping to find an animating job there," Julian admit, merging lanes and looking in the rearview mirror for any more black cars. "I only have a limited window before my work visa expires."

"Well, that explains the time crunch," D muttered, tossing a fry in his mouth. "So, where did you live before?" 

"Albuquerque, actually."

"Why'd you leave?"

Julain shrugged. "It got boring, I guess."

Ding Dong hummed in what was probably understanding before he fell quiet, continuing to munch on his fries.

"How about you?" Julian finally asked, drumming his fingers on the wheel. "Where did you live before?"

"Planet Chicago," the alien responded, and Julian shorted. 

"Chicago? As in--"

"No, not the state Chicago- though I have heard it to be very similar."

"So, what happened?"

When his friend fell silent, Julian bit the inside of his cheek and mentally kicked himself. "I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's just still so fresh in my mind. I promise I'll explain everything, but not right now. I can't." Ding Dong shook his head and looked out the window. "I'm sorry."

"No, hey, don't be!" Without thinking, Julian reached across and took one of Ding Dong's hands in his own. "I understand. Another time, perhaps."

Ding Dong squeezed his hand briefly before they both let go, and continued in silence.

That is, until Ding Dong started humming under his breath, drumming his fingers, tapping his feet; Julian peeked at him right as he threw his hands up again and exclaimed in a really weird, oddly funny voice, "I'm b _ored!_ "

Julian wheezed out a laugh in surprise, opening the middle console and grabbing a pair of tangled earbuds.

"Here, take these and watch some YouTube or something," Julian offered, handing over his phone and the earbuds, not noticing Ding Dong's recoil in disgust. 

"YouTube?" he repeated, taking the device. "Isn't that home of the Let's Players?"

"Let's Players? ...Yeah, I guess. I use it for music, though; I don't really dig the whole 'Let's Play' scene."

"No kidding...?" Ding Dong busied himself with untangling the cord with deft fingers. "...That makes two of us, I guess."

"Really?"

Ding Dong sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah. They... they're the reason I left home."

"What?" Julian squawked, and looked at his companion. "No- you're kidding?"

He shook his head but kept his eyes on the earbuds. "I wish I was. There was a whole army; they came down in a giant pink mustache, led by a man."

Pink mustache? "You mean Markiplier?"

Ding Dong shivered. "Yeah. That sounds about right. They destroyed everything- killed everyone. I'm not sure how many escaped, but I did. I knew of only one place I could escape to, and that was here: Earth. I knew enough about it that I could fit in, have a safe place to stay until I could return." He then frowned, glaring slightly and flicking his gaze towards Julian. "That is, if I had my ship."

Julian frowned and kept his eyes on the road. 

Ding Dong had untangled the 'buds, and the next time Julian looked at him, he had them pressed in his ears and was leaning on his palm, facing the window, and Julian realized just how long the remainder of the trip was going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Opinions? Drop a comment!


	3. I'm Not the Domestic Type, but You Make Me Want to Be

The next time Ding Dong looked up was when Julian had pulled into a rest stop, head jerking and eyes blinking as if he'd been sleeping. Julian didn't doubt that he was, but said nothing as he parked and shut the engine off.

"Why'd we stop?" he asked sleepily, rubbing at his eyes and pulling the buds from his ears as he sat up.

"Bathroom break," Julian responded with a grunt as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door, Ding Dong following suit. "Stretch your legs, too; we're almost there and I don't want to stop again." Then he paused. "Do you need help with the gauze?"

"No, I should be fine."

Ding Dong was stretching, still seated, though his legs were hanging out the door when Julian had went to the bathroom, and when he came back, the alien had taken a seat on the hood of the car, hood pulled over his head and knees pulled up to his chest. The earbuds were back in his ears, and he had a distant look in his eyes; he jumped when Julian touched his shoulder, and was silent as he climbed back into the car. Julian wondered if he used- or even had the ability _to use_ the bathroom, but killed the thought as Ding Dong curled back into himself.

"Hey," he started gently, leaning forward to catch D's eye as he peeked from under the hood. "Are you alright?"

Ding Dong grunted slightly and stretched out, grabbing the seat lever and pushing it as far back as he could go. He ended up completely parallel to the ceiling, long legs stretched under the dash and head nearly falling off the rest. "No-- I dunno. Yeah, I guess. How much farther until California?"

"Not far," Julian answered, though he had no real idea, being as he had handed over his GPS when he gave DD his phone. "A couple more hours? The GPS is on the phone-"

Ding Dong already had the phone in-hand and was staring at the screen. "An hour and... seventeen minutes?" he announced, and Julian nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

He didn't bring up that Ding Dong avoided the question as he pulled out and merged back onto the highway.

 

* * *

 

Ding Dong's head followed as they passed the sign that bade them farewell from Arizona. He had sat up about a beforehand, maneuvering to sit cross-legged and watch the scenery. He'd rolled down the window, too, and seemed to be enjoying the air it provided. He still had his earbuds, but had requested Julian's assistance on plugging the phone in to charge before it died. Neither spoke since the rest stop, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Especially when Julian had the radio on, which filled the space enough, despite its low volume. 

Julian was a little surprise when he tugged out an earbud. "We're almost there, huh?"

"Yeah," Julian nodded, pushing his fingers under his glasses to itch at his eye a bit.

"So, can I ask what the plan is? I know you're looking for an animating job, but... what about me?" he shuffled a bit, moving his legs so they were pressed together, leaned to the side. "I can't necessarily get a job with how I look, since you're so worried about the government coming and dissecting me and whatnot. Not to mention I no longer have a ship, and-"

Julian, exasperated, decided to cut in and stop his anxious rambling. "Hey, calm down. We'll figure it out, okay? I was planning on getting an apartment in LA, so we'll settle down and go from there. Does that sound okay?"

DD looked down and tugged at a fray on the jacket sleeve. "...Yeah. That sounds okay."

"Okay."

Once again, they fell to silence.

 

* * *

 

"D, if you want it, get it."

"It's twenty bucks-"

"Don't worry about the price! Just get it!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"I'm not yelling!" Julian shoved the shirt against Ding Dong's chest firmly, shoulders shaking as he wheezed. "I'm serious. If you want it, get it. You can't live in my oversized clothes forever."

Ding Dong looked at the hoodie that he was still swimming in. "Why not? They're comfy."

Julian flushed and moved to look for more clothes that would fit Ding Dong's frame better. "You can wear them at home, but not out in public."

Ding Dong frowned slightly, but folded the shirt on his arm anyway as they moved down the aisle.

After arriving in LA, the first thing Julian did was pull into the nearest Goodwill and drag Ding Dong in for some new clothes. He already had a general idea as to what apartment they were going to get, so that wasn't a top priority. What _was_ the top priority was getting Ding Dong dressed and comfortable. And that's what they were doing.

Or trying to do.

So far they'd succeeded in getting funny looks from mothers and laughs from a group of teenagers the aisle behind them, but it was a step. Especially with Ding Dong's growing pile of clothes to try.

Before it grew any more, Julian took Ding Dong to the changing station to try on the clothes he was interested in. Out of the entire pile, he got three shirts, a pair of pants, and a hoodie, which was pretty good for a Goodwill shopping spree. 

"What about a hat?" Ding Dong asked, grabbing a fedora with a knowing grin, which caused Julian to burst into laughter.

"We'll worry about that later. I wouldn't trust Goodwill hats."

Ding Dong didn't quite seem to understand, but put the fedora down nonetheless. 

After they purchased everything, they stopped by another Jack in the Box for a quick bite before continuing to the apartment Julian had in mind.

 

* * *

 

"This place is pretty expensive."

Julian hummed in response as he continued to shove his clothes in the dresser in his-- _their_ room, he corrected with a light feeling in his chest. "California prices are high."

Ding Dong shook his head from his spot on the bare bed. They had a lot more shopping to do to make this apartment officially theirs. "Why? Why's it so expensive to have a roof over your head?"

"I think it's 'cuz the beach," he responded, shutting the drawer. "Everyone wants to live near the ocean, and it causes the prices to skyrocket."

DD hummed, cutting the final tag off his clothes. "That makes sense, I guess. The ocean is really pretty."

"Did you have oceans on Planet Ch-" Julian cut into a wheeze, and though Ding Dong gave him a weird look, a smile was stretching across his face too- "Planet Chicago?"

"Yeah, we had plenty of water. I didn't live near it, though; I spent most of my time holed up at my job."

"You had a job?"

"Yeah. I was a quantum mechanic- I may not look it, but I'm a really good programmer."

Julian gawked, and Ding Dong snorted. He didn't mean to be so surprised; Ding Dong did seem like a really smart guy, it was just... "Wow."

"Thanks," Ding Dong began with an eyeroll. "You sure know how to make a guy special."

"Hey, you know what would be cool?" When Ding Dong shook his head, Julian smirked and continued, "If we teamed up to make video games. I can animate, and you can program! We could make a lot of cool stuff."

A shine appeared in Ding Dong's eyes that made Julian's heart flutter. "That would be amazing."

Even though he was initially joking, Julian found himself agreeing that yeah, it would be pretty amazing.

 

* * *

 

"What color is that?!"

"It's green!"

"No, it's the color of fucking vomit!"

"It's pretty!"

"It's really not!" Julian grabbed the disgustingly colored fabric from Ding Dong's hand and tossed it back on the shelf. "We are not getting a couch the color of baby vomit."

"Why not?!"

"'Cuz it's fucking disgusting!"

More weird looks were tossed their way as they burst into laughter in the middle of Home Depot, but neither cared. 

"I had no idea shopping for furniture was this exhausting," he wheezed as he wiped at his eyes, and Ding Dong made a noise that made Julian start laughing all over again.

"It wouldn't be if you weren't so picky about color!"

"I don't want a vomit-green couch!"

"Why?!"

"Because-" he couldn't even finish before he was doubled over wheezing, hand clasped tightly on D's arm to prevent himself from falling over. Ding Dong was giggling above him, and Julian realized that, even though he barely knew the guy, there wouldn't be anyone else he'd rather live with.

 

* * *

 

"How about now?"

_Cli-Click_

"No."

Julian let out a frustrated groan. "I didn't waste thirty bucks to have shit internet. Here, shut it down."

After a few more clicks, Ding Dong reclined in the chair. "Okay, it's down."

Julian unplugged and replugged the ethernet cord. "Okay... turn it back on."

Ding Don did as he was told. "Aren't you worried you're gonna fry your computer at this rate?"

"Nah, it's fine." 

Ding Dong's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in Julian's password. Once it booted up, he opened Chrome, and it was a tense couple of seconds before Ding Dong suddenly clapped really hard. "Yes!"

"Yes!!" 

They slapped hands in an intense high-five that left Julian's hand numb.

Leaving Ding Dong to explore the world-wide-web, Julian ran down to grab their laundry. On his way back up, he noticed two men in spiffy-looking suits and, weirder still, dark sunglasses that covered their eyes, lounging in the lobby, but he paid it no mind as he took their dry clothes back up to their room.

When he came back up, Ding Dong was rooting through the kitchen, looking back at Julian with a kicked-puppy look, and Julian decided it was now or never to go shopping for food.

 

* * *

 

"Julian!"

The man stumbled, nearly falling over. He managed to keep his hold on everything except the bag of flour, which Ding Dong retrieved effortlessly. "What's going on? You've been paranoid since we left the store."

Julian didn't want to worry him- he hadn't even realized he was acting so obvious. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Ding Dong looked back at the black car that had pulled in after Julian shut the trunk. Nobody had stepped out yet and the car was still running, which made things worse. DD looked at him with an understanding look that was growing with panic. Julian swallowed and held out his hand for Ding Dong to walk in ahead of him, herding him a little quicker into the lobby of the building. 

The car shut off.

"Give me your bags," Julian rasped once they were inside, taking them in shaking hands. "You have your spare key?" When Ding Dong nodded, Julian breathed shakily in relief. "Good. Take the stairs. Get in, lock the door, go to the bathroom, and turn the shower on. You don't have to get in- just hide in there. I'll knock two times, pause, then three times if it's clear."

"Julia--"

"Go."

Ding Dong risked a glance at the car just as the doors opened and the two men from the lobby stepped out. Then, with a quick, worried look at Julian, he was gone, rushing his way towards the stairs. Julain hoped it was the right call as he adjusted all the bags in his hands, and walked as calmly as he could towards the elevator. 

Ding Dong had long legs, he could probably scale them two, maybe three at a time. They lived on the second story, so he should get there before the elevator did.

Julian was about to press the button when another hand slid from behind him and pressed it for him.

Julian froze and barely managed to turn around to see who it was.

One of the men from the car was standing with his hand out, a sickeningly sweet, but obviously fake smile on his face. His sunglasses were off; probably an attempt to look more friendly. "Allow me?"

"O-Oh, uh... thank you, but it's okay-"

"Please, I insist, as it seems your roommate has abandoned you." He didn't even wait for a response before taking a couple of the bags off of both of Julian's arms. It was kind of a relief, but the feeling was overwhelmed by the panic he was trying to quell.

"Thank you," he squeaked, ignoring the part about his roommate.

When the elevator arrived, they both stepped in. "What floor?"

"Second."

With a ding, they were going up. Julian prayed that Ding Dong had made it inside. 

"Do you have your key?"

"Yeah, in my pocket."

"That's good. Wouldn't want to have you be locked out of your own room or anything." The agent smiled at him again, and Julian offered a shaky smile back.

Once they arrived at the door, Julian set enough of his bags down to pull out his key and unlock the door. He took in a breath and pushed it open.

The shower was running, and Julian could have wept.

After picking up his bags, the agent put a hand on his back, and led Julian in.

He looked at the bathroom door with an eyebrow raised. "Shower night, huh?"

"Yeah, uh-- my roommate forgot to take a shower this morning. He's a germaphobe. You should've seen him in the store; he kept talking about how bad he needed to shower because he felt so gross." Julian laughed as they put the bags on the table, and felt it to be a little too forced. "Thank you again for your help."

"It's not a problem," the agent hummed, still looking at the door. "I'll get out of your hair now."

Julian, with nothing to say, nodded, and followed the agent to lock the door.

"Oh," he began, hand on the doorknob, "did you hear about the UFO crash in Arizona?"

Julian's blood ran cold. "U-Uh... no, I haven't. I don't listen to a lot of radio, and we just moved in here, so we haven't gotten the chance to watch the news. Was it bad?"

"Not at all," the man said, looking back at Julian with a calculating eye. "It crashed in a swimming pool. There's worry that if anything was on board, it had escaped, as the back gate's lock had been broken off."

Julian swallowed. "That's... horrifying."

"Indeed." The agent paused, still staring at Julian, who resisted the urge to shuffle under the harsh stare. "Have a good day, sir."

"Y-You too."

With the door shut and locked, Julian nearly fell to the floor. His heart was pounding. He knew that they would be back; they'd want to meet his roommate- they'd want to meet _Ding Dong_. 

With a shaking fist, Julian knocked twice, paused, and another three times, and before he could even lower his fist, the door was thrown open and he was enveloped by the warm heat of the bathroom steam and the thin arms of his alien roommate. Julian said nothing as he wrapped his arms around Ding Dong in response, buried his head in his shoulder, and squeezed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to yell at me that I'm incorrect in how the FBI actually act? Slam a comment below!


	4. Your Lack of Personal Care is Worrying Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i completed the story and now i have no self control :\\\\\

Julian was having a hard time finding anywhere that wanted to hire him. There was only so much he could do on Tumblr and deviantArt, and he hated Twitter, and there was even less to do on Newgrounds. Commissions helped- kept them afloat, but it was difficult. Especially with the insane LA rent.

Ding Dong was worried about not doing his part, but Julian always assured him that it was fine. It wasn't like he could do much anyway, being an alien with the government hot on his tail.

D spent most of his time on the internet, perusing through YouTube and Newgrounds, and Julian spent his time drawing and filling commissions. 

One night while Julian stayed up to finish some drawings, Ding Dong had draped himself across Julian's back with a soft groan. 

"I want to program," he moaned, and after he fell asleep, Julian downloaded GameMaker for him.

Julian woke the next morning to the strong smell of bacon, and when he got out of bed, Ding Dong gave him a big hug and an even bigger breakfast as thanks.

 

* * *

 

"You need to sleep."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're--" Julian breathed heavily through his nose in exasperation. "You look exhausted, D. When was the last time you slept? Ate?" Julian breathed in and tried not to recoil. "...Showered?"

"I'll eat, and shower," Ding Dong yawned, rolling his neck. "But I'm not tired. I'm serious!" he added at Julian's look. "I've done more on less sleep. I just..." he looked back at the computer screen, where there were miles of code. "I missed this, you know? It's been a while since I just sat down and programmed. I promise I'll sleep tonight."

"Okay," he sighed, rubbing at Ding Dong's shoulder. "I'll cook something. Go shower."

Ding Dong ate half of the sandwich Julian had made before he went back to the computer, and as Julian finished the dishes, the loud clacking of Ding Dong's skilled fingers flying across the keyboard filled the otherwise empty space. 

He was still working while Julian got ready for bed, and when Julian mentioned it, he said he was going to go to bed soon.

Julian woke up around two in the morning, and he was still working.

 

* * *

 

Ding Dong slept for nearly sixteen hours.

Julian had woken up again at around seven AM to find Ding Dong knocked out beside him, snoring softly into the pillows. One of the things Julian never realized about him until he found him with a pair of scissors to the back of his pajama pants as that he had a tail. Julian didn't notice the night they met because Julian's sweats were too big on him, and the bagginess of it masked the fact that he even had a tail at all. He never noticed after that because Ding Dong had no real reason to wear the new clothes he bought, aside from the shirts and hoodie. He also wore the beanie that they got when they went to Walmart for food around the house, probably as a way to get used to the feeling if he ever needed to go out, whether from becoming stir-crazy or from doing some shopping on his own. Julian couldn't wait for the day that the government finally got off their asses and enabled them to eat out somewhere nice, but that wouldn't be until a long while. 

Anyway, the point was that Ding Dong's tail twitched in his sleep, which was beyond adorable. It wasn't a huge tail or anything, like a monkey's or something insane. It was more like a really short alligator's, probably about a foot in length, starting off relatively thick and ending in a tip about the width of a pinkie finger. Julian had to resist the urge to touch it, and did so by getting out of bed.

When Ding Dong slept until noon, Julian didn't worry about it.

When he slept until four, Julian had some mild concerns, but as long as Ding Dong kept snoring, he didn't care that much. The snores were kind of cute.

When he slept past seven PM, Julian began to worry. 

It was ten PM and Julian made a note to wake the alien after his shower. He didn't need to, though; when Julian got back in, still rubbing a towel against his curly hair, Ding Dong wasn't snoring, and instead was peering up at him from the pillow mushed against his face. 

"Well, good morning, Princess," Julian teased, and was rendered speechless was Ding Dong flushed a beautiful shade of blue.

"It's not even morning, stupid," he muttered, turning his head and curling into himself a bit in embarrassment, and Julian was stricken with just how much he actually might be in love with him.

 

* * *

 

They fell into a rhythm.

Julian finally managed to find some freelance work that paid well, and Ding Dong managed to push down the need to program for long enough that Julian was able to get some decent work done. Ding Dong cooked breakfast and spent the morning watching YouTube videos and Julian animated. At lunch they both took a break; Julian cooked, and they spent time watching TV shows and sometimes movies or things on Netflix- really, they just took an hour or so to enjoy each others company. After they finished what they were watching and washed the dishes, Ding Dong took the computer to get out his programmers itch, and Julian either sat in the living room or on the bed, drawing and making hand-made flipnote animations, some of which were simple, like a bouncing ball or complex, like a long remake of a scene from a show they'd watched or a fight between two random characters. At dinner, they switched: some nights Julian cooked, other nights Ding Dong cooked, and some nights they ordered. Ding Dong was particularly fond of Curry House, ordering chicken katsu literally as spicy as he could talk the person taking their orders into making it. Julian had always preferred a turkey club, but he had no complaints about curry.

One time, Julian asked how Ding Dong could even eat that spicy shit, and Ding Dong responded by asking him if they had any type of hot sauce in the fridge. Julian nearly got diarrhea from the smell alone.

After they ate, Julian usually went back to work on animating. In some cases, if Julian was done with his work or had no work to be done, Ding Dong was able to program more. Julian worked until he was exhausted, and Ding Dong forced himself to stop programming before two AM. 

Some days, Julian would work more, and others, mainly when he had to run to the store or do chores around the apartment, Ding Dong would get to program for longer, but by the end of the day they were both in bed, asleep, and more often than not, Julian woke with the alien cuddled between his arms, and every day Julian fell more and more in love with his alien roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to tell me that I'm updating too fast and it leaves no room for suspense? Well, go ahead and dropkick that comment downstairs!


	5. Scott Pilgrim vs. the Immigration Office

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _i feel like this is gonna be so offensive but idk what else to do it's part of the wiki i couldn't just skip over it-_
> 
> let me just say, i have no idea how visas work. that's why a lot of this chapter is really vague and fast and garbage. i apologize if this is completely inaccurate; research can really only get you so far.
> 
> ~~i could just cut it down to the first part, then briefly mention that after some shit he registered as ding dong's caretaker, which is what the wiki says, but idk i thought this was kind of too important to skip over like that. if y'all hate this chapter i can do that, though.~~
> 
> ~~or i could just scrap this entire fucking chapter~~
> 
> ~~y'all decide i guess~~
> 
> again, let me just say: research can only get you so far

Julian's work visa had been revoked.

The whole month there had been a blind panic; Julian had applied for a renewal, but apparently was denied, which meant he was going to be deported back to Mexico.

Ding Dong was also freaking out. If Julian got deported, then that meant that Ding Dong was going to have to go with him, and there's no way he would get past the government that way. Julian suggested that Ding Dong stay in the United States; stay low, become a freelance programmer, and maybe he could slip under the government's radar for long enough, but Ding Dong refused. He wasn't going to let Julian go back alone; not after everything that Julian had done for him.

The date was getting nearer and nearer, when Julian got an idea. He wasn't sure if it was going to work, but it had to.

Julian filled out the application and prayed for the best.

 

* * *

 

Julian was sweating.

Well, Julian was always sweating, but now it was excessive. He was sitting in a white room, alongside a few other people, all reading magazines or looking at their phones. Julian was tapping his pen on his notebook anxiously, not following a rhythm or anything. He was waiting for somebody to tell him to stop, but they were all sucked in their own minds to say anything to him about it.

Doodles covered the page. As much as he pretended they weren't there, he counted about six Ding Dong doodles hidden amongst the mass. Whether it was eyes, lips, nubs, tails, or paws- there was a bit of Ding Dong everywhere. 

Julian was about ready to flip the page when a door opened.

"Julian Marcel?"

With a gulp, Julian shut his notebook, stood, and followed the woman further into the building.

 

* * *

 

"You have to be kidding me."

Julian was struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to spill, hoping that Ding Dong couldn't hear his labored breaths on the other line of the phone. "I wish I was."

"So, that's it, then?"

"Yeah."

Ding Dong let out a watery breath of his own and something stabbed Julian through his chest. "I can't believe it actually fucking worked."

Julian wheezed out and pressed the heel of his palm to his eye. "Me neither."

"So, not only are you okay to be here..."

"You are, too."

Ding Dong let out a choked laugh. "Oh, my God. I am going to order us so much curry tonight."

Julian burst into laughter, followed immediately by Ding Dong's own laughter, and he squashed down the ball of worry that wedged itself in his chest. They were going to be fine.

They had to be.

 

* * *

 

Julian's leg bounced in anticipation. Other than the beanie that rested on Ding Dong's head, they did nothing to hide his identity. Julian could only imagine how uncomfortable it was for his tail to be cramped within the slightly-too-loose pants, but what else could they do? It was bad enough that he didn't have a nose, and his eyes were a little too big and his skin was a little too pale, but that couldn't be helped. Julian could only hope that it was enough.

Ding Dong was holding his hand, which had helped, but nothing calmed his nerves better than aimlessly doodling. 

Once again, a voice called from the doorway and, this time, he didn't have to walk in alone.

"Hello, you must be the one that Julian spoke of!" the woman began, and Ding Dong clenched his hand harder as he gave a stiff nod. The woman smiled at them and motioned for them to have a seat. "What's your name, again, sweetie?"

Ding Dong didn't look at Julian as he swallowed and responded in a surprisingly level voice: "Scott Pilgrim."

 

* * *

 

For a few minutes, they sat in the parking lot, buckled in the car, but Julian couldn't bring himself to start it.

For a few minutes, they sat, rerunning the afternoon through their heads.

It was a peaceful few minutes, before Julian choked and Ding Dong let out a loud whoop, and suddenly it felt like everything was okay again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to tell me how visas really work or yell at me for being (again) completely inaccurate and offensive? _s m a s h_ a comment below!


	6. We Both Hate Let's Plays, So How Come We're Both on This Couch?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update because i feel like the last chapter was garbage--
> 
> sorry if i goof up some things in the timeline; again, research (especially half-assed) can only get you so far

It wasn't uncommon for Ding Dong to wake up yelling.

The first time it had happened, Julian nearly shat himself, sitting up at the same velocity as Ding Dong had- also yelling. Afterwards they both started laughing, but when Julian asked what happened, Ding Dong got quiet, and told him not to worry about it.

When it kept happening, Julian started to worry about it.

He finally managed to coax what it was about out of him. 'The Let's Players,' Ding Dong admit, rubbing at the bags forming under his eyes, and Julian offered him a huge hug. That was the first time Julian woke up spooned up against him. 

Over time, Ding Dong had begun to reveal more details about the nightmares- the memories, Julian had concluded, due to how real they sounded and what Julian already knew about the invasion. 

Ding Dong described to him the fire- the chaos that Markiplier had brought upon his species. He described the blood, the bodies, the _smell_ of it all- he described it in such vivid details that Julian felt like he was there; like he had lived through it. 

Not too long after, Ding Dong had explained his trip to Julian. He played a lot of video games from Earth to pass the time, though he spent most his time researching. He read up anything and everything about all the games; developers, studios- just about anything he could learn. Pretty soon he learned just about everything, and spent the rest of the journey in cryostasis.

That is, until he breached got to the Milky Way.

A piece of debris had broken something on Ding Dong's ship- due to safety regulations, he was forced from his slumber prematurely, with little time to fix whatever had gone wrong. Risking a quick trip out of the ship to see what was wrong, he ended up barely having enough time to get back inside safely before he breached Earth's atmosphere. Being as he wasn't braced down once he hurled through the gases, the landing was rough- which explained how he ended up so injured. 

Ding Dong also admit that he remembered Julian's face, but barely, after Julian had taken him back to the hotel room, but was so surprised because he had assumed it to be a dream.

"I was nearly unconscious when you saved me," Ding Dong said through his and Julian's laughter. "What else was I supposed to think? A good-looking stranger saved my life and I was just supposed to assume it to be real?"

Julian, still wheezing, pressed a hand over his fluttering heart with a coo. "You think I'm good looking?"

Ding Dong snorted, blushing slightly. "Yeah, I guess I do."

After that, cuddling became a normal thing between them, and though it helped ease the nightmares somewhat, Julian was often the victim of a flailing elbow and a four AM nosebleed, followed by sincere apologizes and boisterous laughter.

 

* * *

 

Ding Dong knew a lot about video games. Julian could sit and listen to him talk for hours about game history, but he rarely got the luxury. Ding Dong was always worried about being boring, though Julian continuously assured him that he was interested in what his roommate had to say. 

That was when Ding Dong started talking to The Best Gamers, a game/E3 review channel that Julian didn't even know Ding Dong was watching. 

Everything kind of spiraled after that.

Pretty soon, Ding Dong became their editor and coder for their website. After that, he was getting invited to take part in their streams. Julian bought him a pair of headphones with an attached microphone, and helped him create both a Skype and a Discord account to communicate with them, and a Twitch to watch the streams he didn't take part in. Ding Dong spent a lot of time talking to them under the name 'cousinskeeter2k3', and though he was a total computer hog most the time, Julian was really happy for him.

Ding Dong had created a Twitter account after finding out it was a good way to keep in contact with a lot of big companies and game devs while keeping himself anonymous (well, as anonymous as somebody with an account using his real name could get). He always talked about how much he hated it- hated pretty much all forms of social media, which Julian could relate to. He liked it because he could share his art and ideas with people who might actually be interested, but there was always the pressure of not being good enough, or of keeping your identity hidden.

Ding Dong had woken Julian up in his excitement.

"Julian- _Julian!!_ "

"What- _what?_ " he sat up a little too quickly, blacking out for a second. "What's wrong?"

"Do you know Oney?"

 

* * *

 

It seemed like Julian was the only one biting his nails. Ding Dong was too giddy to worry about what this Oney character would think about recording videos with a literal alien, but Julian wasn't giddy at all.

Well, sure, he was happy that Ding Dong had been noticed by somebody who wanted to record videos with him, but this somebody was a stranger who recorded Let's Plays. 

"You're seriously not worried at all?"

Ding Dong shrugged as he replied to a message on Discord. "Not really," he answered in earnest. "I know I should, being as he's a Let's Player, but... he seems really cool, and some of the games he wants to play are old- ones I'm _good_ at."

"You're not worried about him freaking out?"

Ding Dong stopped typing and turned to look at him, browns knit as he slowly shook his head. "...No."

 

* * *

 

Turns out there was nothing to be worried about anyway.

Oney- whose real name was Chris- was completely okay with playing together online while communicating through Discord, which, oddly enough, was way more stable than Skype would ever be despite still being relatively new. They first played Super Mario 64 multiplayer, and after that played Chronicles of Mystara, both of which came out really good. Chris and Ding Dong had a type of natural connection, and Chris even shared some of the profit they made from monetization.

But it couldn't keep forever.

Chris mentioned recording in his office, which would lead to better audio, funnier jokes, and the ability to play single-player, console games. Thankfully, he already lived in LA, so the prospect of meeting face to face was easy.

The first thing Ding Dong did was ask if he could bring Julian.

 

* * *

 

"Oh, my god."

"Chris-"

"This is fucking insane, dude. I thought you were gonna be some like old man using autotune, but this-"

This time it was Julian who tried to cut in, "Chris."

"This is so fucking cool!"

Both stopped and stared. Chris was staring back at them with wide, sparkling eyes, but he was mainly staring at Ding Dong. 

Chris and Ding Dong had been meeting up far more than Chris, Ding Dong, and Julian had. The first time they met, Chris didn't mention anything about Ding Dong's appearance, which was good. Ding Dong was right, though; Chris was a really fun guy, and even though Julian also hated the title behind Let's Players, he thought about how cool it would be to record with somebody as funny as Chris. 

But soon, the hat had to come off. 

It was the first time that Ding Dong and Julian invited Chris over to their apartment. They spent the time chatting and laughing, throwing popcorn at each other as they left Netflix on in the background. Since Julian hadn't invested in a game system yet (mainly because Ding Dong kept suggesting old systems Julian hadn't even heard of), so aside from their computer, Netflix was the only thing they had to entertain themselves. Chris didn't seem to mind, since he had enough games at home to entertain himself enough for the three of them.

After they were all comfortable, and Julian had gotten up to make dinner, Ding Dong had asked Chris if he could keep a secret.

A kind of really lame way to start off, but being as Chris responded with, 'Dude, I know you two are gay. It's not a secret,' which caused Julian to nearly pass out from lack of oxygen while Ding Dong's cheeks darkened to a deep blue. 

Julian was only mildly concerned that he couldn't see Chris's face when Ding Dong pulled the beanie off his head.

That's when Chris exploded with euphoria.

"I knew there was something wrong with you, but I thought you just had an intense birth defect and I really didn't want to be a prick and mention it," Chris admit, pushing his hand up under his own beanie as Ding Dong burst into giggles. 

Chris promised that he wouldn't tell anybody, and after dinner, Chris said his goodbyes.

A short amount of time later, Chris told Ding Dong that he wanted them to meet someones.

 

* * *

 

Chris had introduced them to Matt and Ryan a couple of weeks before they all recorded Luigi's Mansion together. Julian was fond of the game, and was surprised when Chris handed him the controller and told him he would be playing while the other four talked and joked around him. 

Neither Matt nor Ryan mentioned Ding Dong's appearance either, and Julian spent a majority of the playthrough worried about if Chris had mentioned anything to them.

 

* * *

 

Turns how he didn't, but it, again, wouldn't have mattered either way. Matt and Ryan were just as cool, and when Chris commissioned Julian to make his thumbnails and Julian drew Ding Dong true to form (upon D and Chris's requests), Matt and Ryan didn't bat an eye.

When Ding Dong asked them about it one day between episodes, they both said the same thing Chris had, which led to a whole lot more laughter and, for once, Julian didn't worry about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still upset about the last chapter? Thrust a comment downtown!


	7. I Don't Mind Being an Internet Personality, So Long as I Can be One with You

We really should create video games."

Julian looked up from his notebook with an eyebrow raised. "What?"

Ding Dong was leaning back, the eraser end of a pencil sticking straight in the air between his pursed lips. His arm was draped over the back of the chair, and he was spinning the chair slightly to the left and right with the toes of his right foot. He reached up to take the pencil out of his mouth and pointed it into the air. "There aren't a whole lot of good games coming out. I'm just saying, what if we make something ourselves? You're an amazing animator, I'm a great programmer- the two of us? We could really go somewhere."

Julian added a couple more details to the doodle he was working on. "You know? That's not a bad idea."

 

* * *

 

Julian hadn't thought about the FBI in a long time.

After he and Ding Dong got things squared away with the deportation office, Julian noticed that they were being stalked less by black cars, and there were no more men in spiffy suits in the apartment lobby. They must've figured that if Ding Dong- sorry, _Scott Pilgrim_ could visit a government office and not get arrested for being an alien, whether from space and not, then maybe they should just lay off.

Whatever happened, Julian was grateful for it. He definitely felt as though he could breathe better.

 

* * *

 

The first time they went out, they went out with Chris. It was the first time Ding Dong had actually sat down somewhere to order, and Julian could tell he was nervous. 

When he reached across to give a comforting squeeze to Ding Dong's hand, Chris coughed out a joking, "Gay," that caused Ding Dong to snort, Julian to wheeze, and both of them to blush. 

Overall, it was a pretty uneventful outing. After they ate, Chris followed them to the store, and they caused a lot of ruckus while Julian attempted to shop. Chris kept putting random shit in the cart, Ding Dong kept yelling at him and started a funny voice war while Julian held onto the cart for dear life as he laughed so hard he nearly threw his back out. A trip that would have taken twenty minutes at most delved into an hour, but Julian genuinely couldn't complain, even though he had a sore throat the next morning and ultimately found out that he had forgotten mayonnaise.

 

* * *

 

Recording with Chris became a regular thing. Julian was honestly surprised to see that Chris wanted him back on the show; he knew Ding Dong would be a constant guest, but Julian, too? It was unreal.

Ding Dong assured him it was because Julian was funny, but he doubted it. Part of him figured it was because Chris would feel bad if he only invited Ding Dong, but it wasn't like he would ever voice the thought out loud. 

It took some time for Julian to get used to the fact that he was on the road to being labeled as a Let's Player, alongside Ding Dong, but after sitting on the couch with the two of them, playing hard and wheezing harder, Julian decided that, if he was to become a Let's Player, this would be the best way for it to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhmm somethin, something, drop a comment


	8. And Thus, a Wan Was Born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my fakeass attempt at what could've been the birth of wan! wan! games. and more. because i always slam so much into these chapters lmao
> 
> this is also probably the worst chapter i've ever written lmao bye

It started as a thought and a doodle of a familiar dog.

"That's cute," Ding Dong said as he sat at the table across from Julian, setting a plate with a freshly made turkey sandwich on it down in front of him. Ding Dong had a Philly cheesesteak on his, which he almost immediately picked up to bite into.

Julian frowned and turned the paper a bit to get a better angle- perhaps the same angle Ding Dong had looked at it to see the appeal. "I wish I could say it was mine."

"What do you mean?"

Julian picked up his sandwich and squished it a little between his fingers. "There was this old RPG that was supposed to come out. This guy"- he tapped the page, right on the dog's nose- "Sleez. He was one of my favorite monster designs from the game."

"He's cute," Ding Dong agreed, taking a bite of the sandwich.

"Yeah," Julian hummed, also taking a bite.

"What's his bark sound like, do you think?"

"I don't think it barked at all. I think it more had a wheezing laugh."

"So, you, but in grotesque dog form."

Julian hucked a piece of bread at him, causing him to laugh.

"Why, what bark do you think it'd have?"

Ding Dong wiped his hands on his pants and motioned for the paper, which Julian handed over. After staring at it for a few seconds, Ding Dong suddenly let out a noise: "Wan!"

Julian snorted and nearly choked. "What?!" 

Ding Dong lowered his voice and tried again. Two 'wan's in a row made for a decent bark noise, and Julian, taking the paper back, looked at the dog again.

"Yeah, I guess I can hear that."

Ding Dong took another bite of his sandwich with a self-satisfied grin.

 

* * *

 

They decided to open a Patreon to start working on games. Both of them had ideas, and after mapping some of the ideas out, they decided to run with it.

They used Julian's doodle of Sleez- well, they used it for inspiration. Julian changed a few minor things, polished it up, and, using Ding Dong's sound effect, created the Wan Wan dog.

Ding Dong spent hours working on the Patreon layout, making everything themed and aesthetically pleasing. Ding Dong talked Julian into making a Twitter to advertise further, but, despite Julian's acceptance at the account, Ding Dong was the main person behind it.

After ensuring everything was perfect and uploading the first look at their first game, Ding Dong posted a link on his own personal Twitter.

Julian's chest felt light, and with the giddy smile permanently on Ding Dong's face, it was safe to say D felt the same.

 

* * *

 

Chris supported them 100% of the way. After they told him about it, he advertised it on his Twitter, and dropped the news in one, if not two videos they recorded after. The generous fans of OneyPlays and those who followed Ding Dong on Twitch (and Twitter) made sure to follow and donate almost immediately.

It wasn't long before they hit their first goal.

 

* * *

 

After two years of being on OneyPlays, Julian and Ding Dong finally quit. They no longer needed the additional help from Chris's channel in order to support themselves while they made the game, which was a breath of fresh air, but it was tough. Drama arose from the sudden disappearances of the two co-hosts of the channel. Ding Dong, who hated social media and even deactivated his Twitter, had to reactivate it in order to clarify and make sure there was no room for speculation as to if there was any beef between the three of them. 

D had even stayed to record a few more videos for old times-sakes, but it wasn't long until he, too, was gone.

It was liberating.

Julian always hated the title behind 'Let's Players'; mainly the outside pressures that it entailed, and even though he had a lot of fun while on the channel, he figured it was best to leave that part behind him as he focused on animation for their games. 

They both still stayed in contact with Chris, of course- he was still a really good friend, and they all hung out with the people they met over the course of being hosts on the channel, but they mainly stayed at home to work on their games. 

They had all the time in the world to work on it, and Ding Dong, between the occasional Twitch stream, made perfect use of that time.

But it wasn't long before Julian started to notice something was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the cliffhanger queen is back at it.
> 
> also, for those who don't know, [this](https://www.deviantart.com/jstar25/art/Sleezy-Peasy-202601319) is julian's doodle of Sleez. _[This](http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/sleez.htm)_ is what Sleez actually was. idk if Sleez was actually the inspiration for the Wan Wan dog, but the resembalance and the coloring of Julian's doodle is uncanny, so I smacked it in here don't @ me-
> 
>  
> 
> **WARNING:**  
>  _If you have not read the wikis, please do so. You'll find how this story ends there, because this story ends the exact way that the wiki pages do. If you have not read the wikis, or forgot what they say, and would rather (for some reason) read the story, I must advise that it is sad and it will ~~(hopefully)~~ hurt. Thank you._


	9. We've Lived Together for So Long, I Can't Imagine Things Without You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING:**   
>  _If you have not read the wikis, please do so. You'll find how this story ends there, because this story ends the exact way that the wiki pages do. If you have not read the wikis, or forgot what they say, and would rather (for some reason) read the chapter, I must advise that it is sad and it will ~~(hopefully)~~ hurt. Thank you._
> 
> ~~i love how i'm making it seem so big but it's probably really lame~~

Ding Dong spent a lot more time asleep; the bags under his eyes had deepened; less and less things made him laugh (and Julian was trying his hardest to get even a chuckle from the alien); he wasn't eating, at least not as much. At first, Julian thought it was due to some type of depression; being stuck inside for long periods of time, only having contact with one or two people, and being the victim of constant noise complaints could do that to somebody, and Julian was completely ready to support him and help him feel better. 

Except it wasn't depression.

Julian had finally prodded enough for Ding Dong to snap and tell him what was wrong.

"I never told you this because I didn't want you to freak out," Ding Dong explained, hugging the blanket closer to his body as another shiver wracked through him. "It's a surprise that I even made it this long..."

"D," Julian started gently, fully freaking out now. They were holding hands, Ding Dong's feet shoved under Julian's thighs on the couch, watching some shit Netflix show, as they tended to do in their free time. "What are you talking about?"

"My species... we don't-" Julian felt his insides twist as Ding Dong coughed, gross and wet and in a way that sounded like it hurt. "We don't usually last past two years."

Julian blanched. "You're serious?"

Ding Dong nodded with an exhale that, once upon a time, might've been classified as a laugh. "Yep. I'm sorry that you had to find out this way," he motioned vaguely to his body, which had become frailer than ever. "I should've told you earlier."

Julian was really trying to bite back the unsettled and distraught tears that threatened to spill. "There's nothing we can do?"

Ding Dong tried to squeeze his hand, but it was, in honesty, a really pathetic attempt. "There's not." He looked like he was going to start crying, too, and Julian's insides tried to crawl further into his body. "I'm sorry, Julian."

With a loud, obnoxious sniff, Julian started crying.

 

* * *

 

Ding Dong didn't leave the bed that much. He was trying to give Julian tips on how to program, so he could keep working on the games even after Ding Dong had passed, but Julian couldn't bring himself to work on it. On any of it. He didn't have the motivation to draw, animate- he couldn't even look at the keyboard without thinking about Ding Dong's quick typing and breaking down a little bit. 

They spent the whole week cuddled together on the couch, watching Ding Dong's favorite shows, or playing his favorite games, or talking about their favorite memories. Ding Dong brought up the time Julian had walked in on him in the bathroom at 4 AM when Ding Dong was just getting out of the shower, and Julian brought up the time that he and Ding Dong programmed a really stupid, but very broken, hyper-realistic penis with jiggle physics that would have put Lara Croft to shame. It was a week of laughs, Curry House, and memories.

It was a week of tears, but it was the calm before the storm.

"Hey, Ding Dong?"

The alien responded with a weak- a very, very, worryingly weak groan. Julian told himself that D was just tired, and tried to finish the thought without crying. He couldn't afford to cry, not when he had so little time left. Not when _they_ had so little time left.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

Ding Dong pressed his cheek into Julian's shoulder, a light pressure, but Julian still felt it. Julian would always feel it. "...What?" he slurred out, blinking a bit. He was struggling to keep his eyes open. Julian was tied between telling him to hold on just a bit longer, or to kiss his forehead, his knuckles, his wrists- his lips, and sing him to sleep. 

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"...No, I d'n think so. ...Why? ....Do you?"

"Yeah," Julian choked out, wrapping his arms and pressing his nose against Ding Dong's forehead. "I guess I do."

 

* * *

 

"Hey, Ding Dong?"

There was no response. Julian wasn't even fighting the tears anymore- let them run down his face and drop against the smooth plane of Ding Dong's forehead. 

"You want to hear something else I never told you?"

Ding Dong's already loose grip on him had slipped seconds- minutes- maybe hours ago, but Julian held tight. He held tight enough for the both of them. 

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me."

 

* * *

 

They buried him at sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see, i was so worked up over making sure you guys knew ding dong was gonna fucking _die_ because i started crying when i was writing this lmAOO BYEEEEEE
> 
> press f to pay your respects in the comments and let me know if i ripped your heart out like i wanted to :}


	10. The End of an Era, and I'm Still Not with You

It wasn't long before the government found out. Julian was expecting it when he got a letter in the mail from the immigration office that he didn't bother reading. He already knew what it said.

Chris had tried to reach out to him multiple times. A lot of his friends did. He didn't get back to any of them.

He thought about saying goodbye- on something, to some _one_ , but couldn't bring himself to do it.

He shut down Wan Wan games- the Twitter, the YouTube-- he was debating even posting about what had happened, but since he couldn't actually deactivate the Patreon, and had no idea how to refund everyone who donated to them, he decided to post something anyway.

He made the post public and titled it 'Goodbye'. He wished it wasn't as dramatic as it sounded. 

He posted a link to the post on Ding Dong's Twitter and sent Chris an email that included his and Ding Dong's Paypal accounts and the Patreon's login information, telling him to either refund everyone or keep the funds for himself. Julian would have no need for it soon.

By the end of the week, Julian was back in Mexico.


	11. All Good Things Must Come to an End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter! thank you all for reading!!!

Julian didn't know if he could call his life 'successful'. It wasn't like he'd done much before, or would have done anything at all aside make furry porn and shitty art until he keeled over from a heart attack before thirty-two if he hadn't met Ding Dong. 

It was kind of funny, and kind of poetic, that Julian's story started and ended in Mexico. 

He'd been back for about a month, doing nothing but thinking, mourning, wishing, and stargazing. He thought back to LA; thought back to the cemetery, where he knew his friend, his roommate- his only love, Scott Pilgrim, lay six feet beneath the dirt; thought back to their apartment- to Chris's apartment, where so many memories were made. He thought about how funny it would be if Ding Dong were waiting for him back there, alive and well at the computer, wondering if Julian would come back with Curry House or Jack in the Box like he sometimes did, or if he was waiting in the cemetery, a ghost, for his long-lost love to be laid to rest beside him for eternity. 

Julian spent his nights staring at the stars, rubbing his shoulder, wishing upon every one that fell that he would wake up on the side of the road in Arizona, about to drive through the town that sent his best friend literally careening into his life and start it all over again. 

Every morning, Julian woke up a little more disappointed. 

It wasn't long before Julian was stalked down- by the Mafia, no less. Turned out that they weren't fond of Let's Players either. Julian listened to the boss's whole spiel about how he was sure that Julian was a great guy running in with the wrong crowd, but the moment he mentioned Ding Dong, all bets were off. 

Julian was about ready to snap when the Mafia beat him to it.

They weren't fond of Let's Players, but they were even _less_ fond of Ding Dong's species, that left Julian with two strikes. 

The third was not saying, 'Thank you for letting me live.'

With the sound of a gunshot and a name on his lips, Julian's vision was flooded with black.

 

* * *

 

Let me tell you the story about a star. 

This star was a lonely star, who watched over the lonely boy whom it had left behind. 

Every night, when the star was able to see its love again, it smiled, even though it knew its love wasn't looking at it, specifically. Every night, it prayed for its love's protection and warmth, and every night, it yearned to be with its love again.

One night, the star didn't see its love. It panicked and looked all over, but it could not find him. Distressed, the star shone brighter than it ever had, hoping to lead its love back home.

But something else happened.

The stars love did not return home to his physical home, but instead, returned to the star. Reunited, the two vowed to never leave each other again, and now spend every night together, talking, laughing, and loving each other- for the rest of eternity. 

**_E N D_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fucking shitass poetic ending- this was fucking,
> 
> ROUGH
> 
> Anyway! that's the end!! I hope you all enjoyed!!! i know it was fast, and rough, and stupid, and nowhere near as sad as i probably wanted it to be, but what can you do, you know? i had a lot of ideas, and there's something pleasing about the really choppy, kind of sporadic chapter bits, so that's how i wrote. maybe i'll come back and edit it so things are more consistent, and maybe these two actually end up together instead of just ending on 'roommates who were in love but didn't have enough time to flesh it out'.
> 
> anyway, i hope you all go out and read some fun happy stuff! i wish you all the best, and stay tuned, cuz I will see you in the next story! <3


End file.
